Charlene Piskula had a special request for Christmas this year - to have her dog, Sirius, become a certified Therapy Dog with Lehigh Valley International Airport’s Canines Offering Passengers Encouragement program.

Piskula’s wish came true and just in time for the holidays. Sirius was certified the beginning of November 2016. He’s now dog No. 17 helping anxious travelers at the airport.

Sirius, an 8-year-old affectionate golden retriever, came from The Seeing Eye program in Morristown, N.J., seven weeks after he was born - around June 2008.

“I raised him for a year under the guidance of The Seeing Eye program,” Piskula said. “He’s the third puppy I raised for them.”

Sirius never made the cut for the program to provide service to an individual with a visual disability but Piskula wasn’t too disappointed, especially since seeing all Sirius has accomplished in his adult life.

Because Piskula raised him for a year, she had first dibs to keep Sirius. Three days after she received a call from the program about Sirius not making the cut, she picked him up, knowing he had “a heart of gold” and was meant to bring happiness and comfort to many people in need.

“I think this was his calling,” Piskula said. “I had him certified through an organization out of New Jersey called Therapy Dog International.

He was certified with them for five years. That’s what allowed us into the hospital setting,” Piskula said.

Sirius, named by The Seeing Eye program in memory of a dog who died during the 9/11 attacks, has been visiting Lehigh Valley Hospital’s hospice care patients for years and creates quite a bond with everyone he meets - staff included.

Most recently, Piskula had Sirius recertified with a new organization in order for him to get into the airport to do his new, additional therapy work.

Sirius is certified now with Alliance of Therapy Dogs, based out of Cheyenne, Wyo.

With this certification came three days of testing at ManorCare Health Services, Bethlehem. The observer had 30-plus questions with which to evaluate Sirius.

“He was going to be certified on how he got along with other dogs, so [the observer] brought in another dog. He (Sirius) could not have cared less. When he has his scarf on (for therapy work), he’s unbelievably professional,” Piskula said.

Sirius also was tested on how he interacted with the patients at ManorCare, his temperament and how he worked as a team with Piskula.

The test went so well that the observer needed only two days of testing instead of three, Piskula said.

As additional accomplishments, Sirius received recognition from Press Ganey in May. Family members of hospice patients took a health care consultant Press Ganey survey and checked all five stars based on the work Piskula and Sirius provided them.

“It is extremely difficult to get recognition from Press Ganey,” Piskula said.

Sirius also was certified with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation in June.

“He has crossed over three patients in the hospice unit,” Piskula said. “We got to the hospice unit in Allentown, and as we walked through the doors, the nurse said the patient was passing away now. We walked into the room, and he (Sirius) placed his chin on the patient’s hand. Two minutes and 56 seconds later, [the nurse] pronounced him dead.”

Piskula continued to explain how Sirius then will ask permission from a family member - by nudging his head on a hand - to lie on the bed with the patient.

“He (Sirius) was curled up on the bed to make sure he crossed [the patient] over,” Piskula said.

What makes this story even more incredible, Piskula said, is the patient had a golden retriever at home that looked exactly like Sirius.

The patient’s dog was mourning the loss of her owner not being there at home, and the family knew she could not handle coming into the unit to say goodbye to her owner.

The patient’s last dying wish was to have Sirius cross him over “because he knew his own dog couldn’t do it,” Piskula said.

That was an experience Piskula recalls she will never forget and still gets chills talking about it.

Piskula was asked Sirius’ favorite part of his job.

“It’s always about the people,” Piskula said.

“His favorite thing is doing therapy work and hugging. He loves to hug people.”

Sirius also likes to catch bubbles with his mouth.

Sirius is well known in the Lehigh Valley and has helped people as young as 10, a boy named Owen who had Crohn’s disease, and as old as 99, a woman named Lucie, in hospice.

Piskula sees Sirius broadening his horizons by visiting more children in the hospital and at Good Shepherd’s pediatric unit, she said.

“Every day I have with him is extremely special,” Piskula said.